Mayor, Parks and Rec Present Options as Rock Springs Civic Center Faces Major Repairs

Rock Springs — City officials, Parks and Recreation staff and residents met in a workshop to review the deteriorating condition of the Rock Springs Civic Center and to discuss whether the city should invest in major repairs or transition programs to other facilities.

Parks and Recreation Director JJ Seabird told the Rock Springs City Council that deferred maintenance has pushed the Civic Center to a “tipping point,” citing a failing roof, water intrusion that has caused mold and crumbling walls, an aging pool and other systems near the end of their life. “We need a commitment to investment or commitment to divestment,” Seabird said, urging council to choose between directing funds to the building or redirecting services elsewhere.

The recommendation from staff was to evaluate program transitions and to consider the citywide parks and recreation footprint before deciding how to allocate scarce funds. Seabird described a range of estimated costs produced by consultants and contractors: short-term roof work and mitigation already running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, pool foundation and rebuild estimates that contractors suggested could range…